Guest Commentary: Judgment and Discernment

Judgment, however, can and should be separated from being judgmental.

RICHMOND, Va. (Catholic Online) - A few months ago, after a Lenten Friday evening Mass and Stations, a group of us went over to the local abortion clinic, disingenuously called the "Richmond Medical Center for Women", to pray for the souls of the slaughtered unborn and the conversion of their murderers. While peacefully reciting some Hail Mary's and other prayers, we were verbally accosted by several young men adorned with numerous tattoos and painful-looking body piercings, wearing black outfits bedecked with myriad chains, not jewelry, but the lock-up-your-bicycle type.

These visibly disturbed individuals taunted, insulted, and threatened us, but tried at the same time, using their diminutive cognitive abilities, to frame a defense for the killing going on inside the building.

Their argument was the oft quoted verse Matthew 7:1, which reads, "Stop judging, that you may not be judged." If Jesus admonishes us to stop judging, let us consider for a moment just what it means to judge. According to The American Heritage Dictionary, judging means, "The capacity to assess situations or circumstances and draw sound conclusions; good sense: She showed good judgment in saving her money."

Now, that definition doesn't sound sinful to me. Assessing the circumstance and drawing a sound conclusion? What's wrong with that? Why would Jesus tell us not to draw sound conclusions about something?

There is, of course, a similar word, an adjective derived from the same root: judgmental. Judgmental can mean, "Inclined to make judgments, especially moral or personal ones: a marriage counselor who tries not to be judgmental." Ah, here is the problem. In today's society where "I'm OK, you're OK", being judgmental is a pejorative term, because it violates the supreme virtue of our society, tolerance.

Tolerance, in today's vocabulary, means unquestioning acceptance of any and all speech or actions (unless they are conservative, of course, in which case society needs to protect itself from hate speech, tea parties, etc.). To be judgmental implies that you might require that speech or actions measure up to some standard prior to accepting them, which would imply individual thought that has not had prior approval from the ACLU, and is thus unacceptable.

Judgment, however, can and should be separated from being judgmental. Every day we are called upon to make myriad judgments. Coffee or tea? Chocolate or vanilla? Drive or take the bus? Watch a movie or read a book? These decisions are surely not the subject of our Lord's admonition against judging. So what was He talking about?

Light Your Free Virtual Prayer Candle Today

He was, of course, talking about judging other people's actions, not what flavor of ice cream we want. He says in the following verses, "For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?...You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye."

The real message is not that we are not supposed to judge, but rather that we are supposed to judge ourselves first, clean our own houses, and then help our brothers and sisters to clean theirs. He does not say do not judge because you have a problem yourself. Rather, he says fix your problem and then "you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye." This is obvious in John 7:24 where He says, "Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly" and Luke 17:3, where He says, "If your brother sins, rebuke him."

St. Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, tells the believers that, "If anyone does not obey our word as expressed in this letter, take note of this person not to associate with him, that he may be put to shame. Do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." The reason we need to "assess situations or circumstances and draw sound conclusions" is so that we can inform the sinner of the error of his ways, so that he may repent and save his immortal soul. We do this out of charity and love for our brother.

In Catholic teaching, we speak of "discernment". The dictionary says discernment is, "The act or process of exhibiting keen insight and good judgment." Sounds a lot like the definition of "judgment", doesn't it? So how is it different?

Thomas Merton, quoted in Listening to the Music of the Spirit: The Art of Discernment, by David Lonsdale, says discernment is, "a way of making Christian choices, of following the Spirit of God in the decisions we make." Discernment thus allows the relationship of an individual with the living God to provide the criteria for making his judgments. These judgments are made so that actions are judged by their concordance with God's will.

The argument against being judgmental is that it is arbitrary and capricious. However, absence of judgment is a form of nihilism, and untenable in practical application. Making our judgments conform to the precepts of our Lord and of his Church, i.e. being in union with our Lord and the Magisterium eliminates human prejudice and allows us to correct each other and potentially to structure our society in accordance with God's plan.

Find the Perfect New Rosary at 15% off!

The next time you hear someone criticizing you for "judging" them, simply tell consider it a "teaching moment", when you have a chance to explain to the presumably uncatechized individual why his actions are not in accord with God's law. In the case of abortion, you might explain why killing babies is always and everywhere unacceptable.

In the case of fetal stem cell research, you might explain why killing a fetus to save someone else's life or health is similarly always and everywhere unacceptable. You can say that there is nothing arbitrary or capricious or arbitrary about your judgment - it is natural law. You might remind them that euthanasia of the aged is next - and they aren't getting any younger.

---

Frederick R. Liewehr DDS, MS, FICD is a Medical professional who is highly respected in his field. He is also a faithful Catholic and a member of St. Benedict Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia. This is his first submission to Catholic Online.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'